


The Edge Of Town

by Joan of Arendelle (shopgirl3599)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Series 4.0, mid season hiatus change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 13:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4350743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopgirl3599/pseuds/Joan%20of%20Arendelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Belle's confrontation with Rumplestiltskin at the town line had ended up slightly differently?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Edge Of Town

**Author's Note:**

> Once Upon A Time belongs to Edward Kitis and Adam Horowitz.
> 
> This is an AU story that diverges after Belle confronts Gold on the town line. It is, for me, how the series should have gone on from that point :)

Belle stared at the body lying in front of her then slowly lowered her eyes to the dagger in her hand.

To the dagger in her hand that was now dripping blood. Was it blood? A thick, black liquid - her mind supplied the word “ichor” but that only came from gods, and the corpse lying dead a few feet in front of her could never be described as a god. 

For a moment she continued to stare as the blood continued to drip, then she shook her head.

People would be coming - someone would miss her, or Gold, and come looking for her. If they found her here, stood over his dead body, there would be questions. Questions she wasn’t all that anxious to answer.

Looking around, she waved her hand, and gasped in surprise - and some little joy - as the body of The Dark One vanished across the town line, and disappeared into the bushes.

No one would go looking for it there - not when you couldn’t come back - so she’d bought herself a little time.

Turning, she waved her hand again, cleaning the dagger and smiled as she saw the new name written across the blade.

She slipped it into her jacket, then started along the road heading back into town.

x-x-x

Regina lay down on the sofa, staring into the fire burning in the fireplace. Despite her best efforts, her mind kept flashing back to the events at the town line earlier that day.

Watching Marian cross over the town line, her illness cured as she left the town limits.

Watching the child run into his mother’s arms, joy beyond measure at seeing her healthy again.

Then….. oh god, no….. watching as Robin turned his back on her, and followed his wife out of Storybrooke. Out of her life, forever. 

She closed her eyes, but a moment later they shot open when she realised the lights in the office were flickering. 

She rolled off the couch and got to her feet, then turned as the door to the office flew open, revealing a figure, cloaked in shadow.

“Rumplestiltskin,” Regina shook her head “Forgive me for seeming rude, but I am not in the mood for your custom charm and wit today.”

“No,” The figure said “I don’t suppose you would be.” Regina paused, staring in slight confusion as the figure walked slowly…… no - as the figure slowly stalked into her office.

“Gold?” Regina asked, her calm voice masking the terror that was starting to pervade her soul.

“Mr Gold has left town,” The figure said, then stalked in to the light. Regina’s eyes widened slightly.

“Belle?” She said in disbelief, then she noticed the aura of darkness surrounding the young woman. Glancing down, she saw the dagger that Bella was holding in her left hand “No - you’re not Belle.”

“Oh no,” Belle smiled - a smile that chilled Regina to her very bones - then took another step forward “I am still Belle…….” She paused, then slowly raised the dagger and pointed it towards The Queen “Just…… better.” Regina took a few steps back, looking around for a way out of the office. Belle watched her, smiling fondly.

"Do you really believe you can flee from The Dark One, your majesty?” She asked, walking towards Regina, getting inexorably closer with every step “Rumple thought he could trick me - thought he could abuse me, mistreat me, lie to me and deceive me.” She gave a light laugh - a tinkling sound that terrified Regina more than anything that had happened already “He made love to me with his words, but his actions - oh, his actions were the truth of his soul. His dark, black, evil, twisted soul,” She laughed again “And I loved him, Regina - I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone,” She smiled for a moment longer, then her expression darkened “But now he is dead - his dark, twisted soul burned up and his body an empty shell lying out on the highway out of town.”

“You killed…..” Regina started, but Belle continued, as if anything Regina had to say didn’t matter. ‘Which’ Regina reflected ‘Is Probably true.’

“I loved him, but he had to pay.” For a moment, Belle stared off into the distance, focusing on something Regina couldn’t see. Then Belle turned her head, and their eyes met.

“And now, your majesty, so do you.” She raised the dagger and pointed it directly at Regina’s heart “Don’t worry, your majesty, this won’t hurt a bit.”

“Somehow I doubt that” Regina said darkly, her voice resigned. Belle smiled, a chilling, terrifying smile.

“Perhaps you are right.” Belle stared at her interestedly “Shall we find out?”

x-x-x

Belle looked down at the broken and beaten body of the former Evil Queen, and tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement. Regina had lasted a lot longer than Belle thought she would have done.

But after ten minutes of sustained torture and abuse, her heart had had given out, and she had died. Now the former tyrant of The Enchanted Forest was nothing more than firewood. Belle looked over to the fire, then smiled.

“Waste not, want not.” She said to herself, then - with a flick of her hand - flung Regina’s body into the fireplace.

“Perhaps now Graham will rest in piece.”

Turning, Belle strode towards the door. Pausing at the threshold, she looked back, then - to her surprise - blushed slightly.

“You can not leave this room in such a mess, Belle - someone will realise that Regina was killed and Sheriff Swan, for all her faults, is not incompetent.” With another wave of her hand, the room reset itself to the state it had been when she entered - minus the original occupent of course. With another look around, Bella nodded in satisfaction, then turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

x-x-x

She strode down the main street, already noticing a difference in her stride. When she had been with…. with that thing that masqueraded as a man, she had always felt slightly timid. Thinking back to her life before she had met him, she realised she had been strong minded, independent - truly a young woman to be reckoned with.

She had travelled all the way to Misthaven to try to find her memories, disobeying her father - The King’s - command - as she did.

But now she barely did anything without thinking about…. his opinion first.

Without realising it she had let him become the centre of her world and the master of her fate.

As she continued back towards her shop, she finally understood how she had rationalised it in her head. Of course she should check with him first. He was her lover, her husband - isn’t that what couples do? Talk to each other about large decisions.

But when the crunch time came, everything was done his way. She could voice an opinion, she could make suggestions, but in the end - it was he who made the choice and he who always got his way.

Suddenly she felt a surge of anger within her. How could she have been so stupid? She was Belle French, Princess of The Enchanted Forest, and she had given up her entire life to become no more than a puppy to the most evil man in the known realms. How could she have been so stupid?

There was a flash of sparks next to her, and she realised that - in her anger - she was losing control of her newly found powers. Looking over to her left, she saw the lamp-post burning, which was quite an achievement given it was metal.

Shaking her head, she put out the flames and allowed herself to calm down. She would not give him a second thought - he was dead. His decaying corpse would lie beyond the town lines forever, and no one would miss him.

Taking a final, calming breath, she continued her walk along the main street towards Gold’s Shop. Which, she realised with a sudden smile, was now hers.

A place where she could learn all about her new powers. And after all - when the news got about that Mr Gold was missing, what would be more natural than her wanting to be in the place her husband loved most?

As she reached the door to the shop, her smile widened. The time of her being a quiet little mouse was over.

Soon - soon the town, the state, the world would hear her roar.

**Author's Note:**

> These are three chapters I previously posted on line - they form a prologue to a bigger story that I will post in due course.
> 
> There are also more relationships on the way, however some of them I would prefer to keep as a surprise.


End file.
